Taking part in the contest, "Movin' On Up", a team of CSUN students was asked to create an efficient and reliable device that used the potential energy of two liters of water to move material up a ramp and deposit it into a basin.

"I am proud of the team's effort and pleased that they now have the chance to go to the national competition," said Bob Ryan, mechanical engineering professor. "The use of a 'counterweight' in their mechanism was a unique idea and was a key to their design's success."

The team will compete in November in Washington D.C. for the national title. The team consisted of mechanical engineering students Dan Martinez, Gihane Meleika, Doris Roman and Dave West.

California State University, Northridge, has more than 31,500 full- and part-time students and offers 59 bachelor's and 41 master's degrees as well as 28 education credential programs. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley and the fourth largest in the 23-campus CSU system. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges recently said CSUN "stands as a model to other public urban institutions of higher education."